Of all
the planets, Mars is often considered the most fun to visually
observe. Because it is a superior planet, Mars retrogrades. But the
real bonus with Mars comes about because of its highly elliptical
orbit. While all planets change in brightness, most do only slightly.
Mars is the notable exception. At its dimmest, Mars shines just shy
of +2 magnitude. At its brightest, an obviously red Mars nearly
reaches magnitude -3.

Because of the highly elliptical orbit, the
distance from Mars to Earth van vary greatly.
The changes in distance bring about the dramatic changes in
brightness. Mars is also notable because detail of the planet, its
red color, can be observed without a telescope. Of all the planets,
Mars is the probably the most fun planet to observe today while it
was probably the biggest anomaly for ancient astronomers to explain.
By observing Mars over the course of its 2-year bit and various
changes, it's no wonder that the ancients thought that it was alive.

In binoculars, Mars does not appear
any different than it does to the naked eye, just a bigger, and more
red.

In telescopes, though, Mars can be a real treat. By using a
medium-sized (4” and up) scope at around 200x power or greater,
surface detail of Mars can become apparent, especially when Mars
makes a close approach to Earth. The first things to look for on Mars
are its polar ice caps, not unlike those of Earth, which can actually
build and recede according to the Martian seasons. If you have a
really big scope and really steady skies, more can be seen on the
Martian surface, namely Mariner Valley, a canyon that would stretch
from New York to Los Angeles if transported to Earth. Under the best
conditions, one can observe differing colors on the Martian surface,
which can, from time to time, be obscured my massive sand storms,
whose existence is evidenced by temporary changes to the Martian
surface coloring. In years past, it was thought that such changes in
surface color were caused by the blooming and dying of of vegetation,
much like that of deciduous trees here on Earth